The Fall Winter 2013 collection while remaining coherent to its deeply Italian soul, it embraces international echoes and influences : in the background St. Petersburg, the Western taste and opulence of its architecture, the light of a winter day that slowly rises in the most European cities of Russia, fairy-tale landscapes and rarefied atmosphere of color notes.
Echoes and quotations – Gogol, Mark Rothko, and Sonia Delaunay – are transformed in the tailoring of a parade coat in saturated colors and precious coats of velvet, double-breasted suits in the rigor of refined, luxury fantasies in silk scarves and waistcoats , in the softness of a warm but strict fur lining.
A composite but casual elegance, where the codes, strict time, are now little more than a sophisticated game through which to express its own unique personality of a man who is a little ‘retro and a little’ edge.
Exclusive fabrics – cashmere, silk, Casentino and bouclé – marry the classic tones of brown, blue and gray, mixed with saturated and intense colors as purple, brick red and dark, or in those colors of mineral oil, petrol blue and malachite.
Dry and comfortable cuts for clothes for single and double breasted, but the coat is the undisputed star of the collection, precious and large wool-silk and mink inlaid, or soft boiled wool resulting in deco, or military-style lofty and sumptuous, with astrakhan collar.
Upon completion of impeccable style, important accessories in crocodile, perfect touches to a luxurious collection in memory of a past in which men chose clothing as an expression of status symbol.
(more…)
Tags: CANALI, CANALI FW 2013-14, FALL WINTER MEN 2013-14
Sat, March 2 2013 » Fashion Blog
Z Zegna© Copyright 2013
THE URBAN WANDERER MEETS THE GREAT OUTDOORS
Today. Yesterday. Tomorrow. Different time frames that characterize the new Z Zegna AW 2013-14 collection, a counterpoint of today’s fast-paced and digitally-connected society with outdoorsy tradition and meticulous craftsmanship borrowed from the distant past.
An artful and youthful balance for a demanding man with a nomadic soul whose agenda blurs the line between work and leisure time. Contemporary clothes for a dynamic and urban lifestyle where heritage elements bond with innovative constructions and fabrications – heat sealed garments, heat taped details, the search for three dimension. The raincoat, instead, morphs into the rain suit.
Caravaggio’s moody and intense color palette permeates a collection filled with shades of brown, from tobacco to sienna, ash gray and ebony, plus flashes of kingfisher or cadmium red matched with navy.
The exclusive fabrics are rough, tough and matte. A mismatch of layered textures anchored on felted wools, degradé effects, wool and silk blends that resemble shearling, winter cottons and jersey bonded with worsted wools, all of which ooze timeless endurance as in the best Zegna tradition. Classic patterns – stripes, argyles, checks and quilting – blown up or manipulated to become textured graphic layers for rustic outwear.
In lieu of the coat, dapper three-button blazers are layered over one another to modern effect and paired with conical pants, either flat-front or single pleat. New is the “Atelier” fit, a highlight for the new sartorial suit that features blazers with a nostalgic feel. The shoulders are deconstructed or bold and sharp, reminiscent of the Italian sartorial tradition. Sturdy and authentic garments such as wide-sleeved shirts peeking from under fitted vests nod to heraldic gestures, conveying a sense of protection.
All in all, a pragmatic and functional message that channels a sense of clarity and order in today’s fast-fashion maelstrom.
(more…)
Tags: FALL WINTER MEN 2013-14, ZZEGNA, ZZEGNA FW 2013-14
Thu, February 28 2013 » Fashion Blog
Iceberg © Copyright 2013
The colors and shapes marking Iceberg menswear for next fall find inspiration in the rules of the Bauhaus design movement. As in avant-garde vision, pure practicality, modern essence.
Geometric expressions of primary blue, red and yellow hues play an ornamental role in a collection where beige and black predominate with the chromatic repetition of a kinetic sculpture.
The technical use of color captures a design concept that evolves and emerges in the knitwear – true core of the collection – as the textural richness of the yarns bonds perfectly with the geometric cleanliness emblematic of the School founded by architect Walter Gropius in Weimar, Germany, in the early 20th century.
Strong rhythms influence the robotic gait of men who display a relaxed and self-assured elegance that reflects the true spirit of the sportswear intrinsic to the brand.
Absolutely natural fabrics – wool, silk, cotton, cashmere – mix and mingle with technical materials.
(more…)
Tags: FALL WINTER MEN 2013-14, ICEBERG, ICEBERG FW 2013-14
Wed, February 27 2013 » Fashion Blog
Synthetic – organic, sport – luxury, urban – elegant.
The new collection comes into being from the collision of universes apparently in conflict with one another.
Juxtaposition creates a surprising mix of glamour and elegance.
The absolute stars are leather, knitwear and fur, with highly advanced construction techniques appropriated from the world of sport; graphic inlays and colour blocking, like icy grey mélange, pine green with egg yolk yellow, camel, lilac-lavender and emerald green.
Volume in extreme opposition, from the very loose to the very tight, deliberately brought together in a carefully thought-out play of aesthetic contrasts. These contrasts also return in the vast choice of materials: natural wool, astrakhan, calfskin, technical fabrics, velvet, transparent nylon and many more.
The most emblematic feature of the Juxtaposition between experimentation and tradition, is the fur sports coat, which combines weather-proof zips, heat sealing construction and technical membranes with beaver fur. The reinterpretation of a classic in the Dirk Bikkembergs style.
The Dirk Bikkembergs Man’s wardrobe is constructed around contrast and juxtaposition: impeccable, bold, urban, sportive, yet, always, effortlessly elegant.
(more…)
Tags: DIRK BIKKEMBERGS, DIRK BIKKEMBERGS FW 2013-14, FALL WINTER MEN 2013-14
Wed, February 27 2013 » Fashion Blog
DAKS returns to Milan for the second time showcasing the Autumn/Winter 2013 menswear collection under the creative direction of Filippo Scuffi.
The collection takes its main inspiration from a typical English gentleman of the early 1900s, secure in his style, whose look is refined, but with a dash of bohemian nonchalance.
The tailored garments reflect this period in history and create a dignified air, often long and with a wealth of detailing. Deep vents, box pleats and prominent stitching feature strongly in the collection, highlighting the design and structure of the garments. The trouser silhouettes are narrow, reflecting the British look, while a key tailoring item is a double breasted jacket with a broad lapels.
The color palette this season is based around shades of navy, dark brown and grey with flashes of mustard yellow as a highlight.
Classic English menswear fabrics feature heavily in their time honoured roles such as suits, jackets and trousers, but also form significant details in capes and cloaks.
Velvets and wools sourced from British suppliers are woven compactly which results in a smooth texture.
The DAKS House Check is present throughout this collection, and has been reworked in an oversized wool design this season.
Luxurious knitwear in 100 % cashmere plays an important role and, again, the taste is Bohemian, often teamed with scarves.
Leather also features prominently and is devised either as bonded leather or combined with a woolen House Check fabric.
The bags are large and sophisticated, in soft nappa and chamois. The three main colour tones on which the collection is built are clearly apparent, as well as variations in leather and House Check wool.
(more…)
Tags: DAKS, DAKS FW 2013-14, FALL WINTER MEN 2013-14
Tue, February 26 2013 » Fashion Blog
Frankie Morello © Copyright 2013
The idea
The basic idea springs from a long-held passion: Pierfrancesco Gigliotti’s love of architecture and specifically the subject of his degree dissertation, i.e. clothing as architecture of the body. And so the new Frankie Morello collection becomes literally a building, an abode not only for a man’s body, but also for his ideas, his character, story and interests.
The collection
The red-brick houses in New York’s West Village are transformed into Gobelin prints. The photos of the brand’s creative spaces are tattooed on the fabrics as if they were the pages of an interior décor magazine. The inlaid marble of Florentine flooring turns into grisaille patterns. And the curved wood becomes a decoration on backpacks and accessories. Lastly, illusion is three-dimensional: the T-shirts are sewn with box-like corners, the knitwear includes mirrors as if it were the end of a corridor.
The celebrity
The guest star and symbol of the collection could be no other than Fabio Novembre. His way of balancing fashion, design and architecture, merging the disciplines through the leitmotiv of creativity, is the core around which each look in the new collection is centred.
The criticism
Under the clothing, apart from the prints, there’s a provocation. Being literally clothed in a creative process, visually dressing in design is also a denunciation of those who cynically copy the creativity of others without considering the research, work, dedication and know-how that are behind an outfit and go beyond a collection. It’s the desire to dress in a criticism through the power of imagination.
(more…)
Tags: FALL WINTER MEN 2013-14, FRANKIE MORELLO, FRANKIE MORELLO FW 2013-14
Sat, February 23 2013 » Fashion Blog
“Masculinity is not something given to you but something you gain…” Norman Mailer
Inspiration this season comes from an eclectic mix of the photographs of Amy Arbus, the films of Norman Mailer, Michael Jackson, Nineties rap stars and Maharajas crossed with New Romantics…
Big is Beautiful. The look is pumped. Volumes are exaggerated for effect. This is the maximisation of luxury.
Everything is treated as a single, precious item, elaborated with hand painting, beading and intricate embroideries of tongue-in-cheek slogans and motifs.
Knits are supersized – exaggerated with a focus on shoulders and arms, emphasising a man’s chest and slimming at the waist to create a powerful, strong silhouette. Guernseys are subverted, traditionally hand crafted with a twist.
Decadent fabrics are intrinsic to Versace. For autumn/winter 2013-14 there is shaved mink, fox, breitschwanz, cashmere and baby camel.
Hand-formed metal work and intricate beading create a uniqueness inherent to the collection, an impression emphasised by frilly stretch lace underwear, another mischievous comment on conventional notions of masculinity.
In this vein, muted, serious colours traditional to menswear become focused and twisted. There are complex ‘Fritz Lang’ jacquards in grey and black with a swirling red thread running through the patterns; traditional fabrics folded over each other and collaged into new constructions; playful takes on checks, pinstripes, herringbone and Prince of Wales.
Prints this season follow the same maximal principal: pumped macroscopic cheetah and zebra. A giant curling baroque motif creating an abstract foulard. As ever with Versace, graphic elements are important, and the collection makes much use of impactful black and white. A ‘Versace Men’ collage becomes a twisted foulard. Evening MA-1’s are embroidered and lavished with varying levels of intricacy.
Versace man, energised and sexualized, steps out for autumn/winter 2013-14 in creeper-soled loafers and elaborate motocross boots.
(more…)
Tags: FALL WINTER MEN 2013-14, VERSACE, VERSACE FW 2013-14
Tue, February 19 2013 » Fashion Blog
Night-time in a buzzing metropolis: a frenzy of pulsating lights and their reflections in the mobile obscurity of wet asphalt.
The accelerated rhythm of his nervous steps crossing the city.
He’s a dynamic man, his silhouette the product of overlaying fabrics. Nothing is as it appears: his style is that of a chameleon, displaying innate sense of style and independence of thought. The urban face of modernity: reversible garments, modular and multi-purposed. Leather is rendered “technical” by rubberization.
A new hybrid, redefining the aesthetics of modern luxury by associating the idea of functionality with the value of exclusivity. Tailoring becomes absolutely technical.
The reversible pea-coat is made of leather backed by felt, the blouson is double-sided nappa with a removable shearling lining, while the rain cape has been enriched by a sumptuous lining of cashmere cloth with leather trimming.
His eyewear is a mixture of different materials: rubberized plastic, metal and tortoise shell, perfectly matching his ‘rubberized’ metal watch, high chronographic performance yet with a sporty attitude.
The knitwear is a triumph of 3D texturing, very high collars and striking patterns. Tactile sensations are created by high-tech neoprene, together with wool and silk yarn, by layering knitwear and with the reassuring touch of baize.
The colours of the collection converge with the intensity of sheer black, saturating a range of grey such as Gun Metal and Storm, blue hues such as Blue Graphite and Midnight Blue, green tones like Night Green and Hurry Green, and ultimately Black Bean. Isolated flashes of colour maximize effect: azure, ice and Ferragamo red.
A detailed process of creative experimentation: the new derby, the ankle boot and the mid-boot, accented with two-tone multi-layer rubber soles, their “tank tread” designed for perfect stability. Exceptional elegance on the urban asphalt.
This pure experimentation is applied to bags, crossing the border that divides craftsmanship and technology. This transformational vortex applies sophisticated new textures to leather, as shown with the soft bi-material (rubberized and natural) duffle bag, the multi-purpose tote with contrasting pipping, and the backpack, a masculine key piece with generous volume.
Complete innovation shapes modern luxury with design that weaves together culture and modernity at infinite levels to create the Salvatore Ferragamo Autumn-Winter 2013-2014 Collection by creative director Massimiliano Giornetti.
(more…)
Tags: FALL WINTER MEN 2013-14, Salvatore Ferragamo, SALVATORE FERRAGAMO FW 2013-14
Mon, February 18 2013 » Fashion Blog
Structure. Texture. Precision. Those are the lynchpins of Neil Barrett’s fall/winter 2013 collection, inspired by the purity of the Bauhaus movement.
Translating the Modernist ethos into menswear, Barrett strips away superficial ornament, the seams and the cuts of the cloth forming the only decoration. The intersection of the curve and diagonal is key, an exercise in geometric and mathematical exactitude in design.
The collection revisits the aesthetic foundations of Neil Barrett, the purist cuts and Minimalism of the early nineties. The classic men’s overcoat is reworked alongside the sweatshirt and blouson, sportswear staples reconfigured with razor tailoring to function as casual or formal wear. All fastenings – buttons, zips and velcro – are concealed, another nod to the notion of Modernist purity.
The outerwear fit is slightly oversized, holding itself away from the form with underpieces fitted. Tailoring creates controlled volume, internal belts drawing fabric against the body. Shoulders seams are dropped to create emphasis, contrasting a rounded, emphatic torso with a skinny leg. Stretch jersey tailoring accentuates the attenuation.
The palette is strict: black, off-white, tobacco, charcoal, vibrant red and every shade of blue from darkest navy to pure primary. Colours are blocked diagonally to contrast or used tonally to highlight the tactile texture of fabrics. Those include lasered fur, mohair, finest nappa, ponyskin, velvet and sweatshirting, and a multitude of wools, from pressed astrakhan wool and fur-like Casentino through melange, rubberised finishes and compact, felted layers. Fabrics are bonded together to give seamless structure, a raw edge revealing the internal layers and creating graphic stripes to outline a garment.
Footwear is precise and hybrid: a single boot, a single shoe, both with a technical interior, crafted with precision and finished with a metallic toe-cap. Accessories continue the juxtaposition of textures through cuts by combining different precious skins – such as leather, python, ponyskin and ostrich – in a single Modernist surface.
(more…)
Tags: FALL WINTER MEN 2013-14, NEIL BARRETT, NEIL BARRETT FW 2013-14
Fri, February 15 2013 » Fashion Blog
Les Hommes Autumn/Winter 2013 collection starts with a journey, entering a black cube which both conceals and celebrates the majesty of Palazzo Serbelloni. Revival of an unforgettable moment of extreme beauty.
The memory goes to the absolute aesthetics of Luchino Visconti’s The Damned with the impeccable interpretations of Dirk Bogarde and Helmut Berger. The masterpiece celebrating the dissolution of an epoch and the shatter of its charm.
This is the starting point of a collection that, without any sign of nostalgia, stresses the perfection climax right before its collapse and tries to convey it to our time and to the radical revolutions we are currently undergoing.
The atmosphere is somber, romantic and celebratory, while dark colours and lavish silk and velvet communicate exquisite luxury. The focus is on tailoring. The jackets are a hybrid, born from illusory double-breasted blazers and field jacket-tuxedos.
When black and white graphic motifs, diamond patterns and rose tapestry give life to prints and fabrics, the reference to Deco design is tangible, as if the best of a Berlin house interior from the Thirties would become a suit.
The heart of the inspiration is an oxymoron, a blend of opposite terms: military and delicate. Uniforms become gentle, soft and fluid and invade this celebrative field as a lulling march.
The final step of an ascending staircase that encourages one to dress venturing in overlaying to celebrate the peak of male elegance.
(more…)
Tags: FALL WINTER MEN 2013-14, LES HOMMES, LES HOMMES FW 2013-14
Thu, February 14 2013 » Fashion Blog
